title: Combat deployment is associated with sexual harassment or sexual assault in a large, female military cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies have examined the prevalence, risk factors, and health correlates of sexual stressors in the military, but have been limited to specific subpopulations. Furthermore, little is known about sexual stressors' occurrence and their correlates in relation to female troops deployed to the current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using longitudinal data from Millennium Cohort participants, the associations of recent deployment as well as other individual and environmental factors with sexual harassment and sexual assault were assessed among U.S. female military personnel. Multivariable analyses were used to investigate the associations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 13,262 eligible participants, 1,362 (10.3%) reported at least one sexual stressor at follow-up. Women who deployed and reported combat experiences were significantly more likely to report sexual harassment (odds ratio [OR], 2.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.84-2.64) or both sexual harassment and sexual assault (OR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.61-3.78) compared with nondeployers. In addition, significant risk factors for sexual stressors included younger age, recent separation or divorce, service in the Marine Corps, positive screen for a baseline mental health condition, moderate/severe life stress, and prior sexual stressor experiences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although deployment itself was not associated with sexual stressors, women who both deployed and reported combat were at a significantly increased odds for sexual stressors than other female service members who did not deploy. Understanding the factors associated with sexual stressors can inform future policy and prevention efforts to eliminate sexual stressors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Deployment Health Research, Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, California 92106-3521, USA. cynthia.leardmann@med.navy.mil
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Leardmann
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pietrucha
authors.forename: Kathryn M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Magruder
authors.forename: Besa
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murdoch
authors.forename: Isabel G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: Margaret A K
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gackstetter
authors.forename: Tyler C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D017406:Sexual Harassment / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014857:Warfare; D055815:Young Adult